MLB Player News

Athletics left fielder Mark Canha went 1 for 4 with a home run and two RBI in his team's 8-7 loss to the Twins Monday.

Canha gave his team a brief lead with a solo home run in the top of the sixth, but the Twins were able to score four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take the advantage. Canha then added a second RBI on an eighth-inning groundout. He's hit .284/.348/.469 with four home runs, 14 RBI and two stolen bases in 81 at-bats.

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said that shortstop Brad Miller may move around in the defense and that he is "Not the forgotten man. He's certainly not the culprit in all of this," according to the Seattle Times.

Miller has started 23 of the Mariners' 25 games this year at shortstop but, with the call up of Chris Taylor, he's not in Monday's starting lineup.

Miller is hitting .250 this season with a .301 on-base percentage for the 10-15 Mariners.

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley had a two-RBI single and double during a 10-7 win Sunday vs. Toronto. He also had two runs and two walks.

Brantley has hit safely in four straight games and has at least one RBI in four straight games as well.

Since returning from a back injury April 17 -- which kept him out six of seven games from April 8-15 -- Brantley is batting .381 (24 for 63) with one home run, seven doubles, nine runs, 11 RBI, seven walks and three stolen bases in 16 games.

Twins first baseman Kennys Vargas went 2 for 5 at the plate in Minnesota's 13-3 win over the White Sox on Sunday.

Vargas did his damage in the sixth inning when he hit a lead off home run over the center field wall off of Zach Putnam, his second of the year. Vargas boosted his average to .208 with five RBI in 72 at-bats this season.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera went 3 for 4 with a two-run home run in his team's 6-4 win over the Royals Sunday.

Cabrera extended his team's lead to 6-0 with his fifth-inning home run, and it provided to be the decisive hit of the game after the Royals were able to rally for four runs in the seventh and eighth innings. He was just 1 for 8 in the previous three games of the series but had drawn four walks to provide a constant presence on base.

Cabrera has hit .366/.459/.624 with six home runs and 19 RBI in 93 at-bats.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said that he plans to find days off for some of his regulars who haven't missed a game yet this year. 

Miguel Cabrera has started every game at first base. Ian Kinsler has been a fixture at second, and one day at DH is the only thing that kept Yoenis Cespedes out of left field this season. 

"Absolutely (a day off) can help," Ausmus said, per the Detroit Free Press. "Even if you're not struggling, just to not have to think about every pitch every at-bat, you just kind of sit back for a day and watch the game until you're called upon to go into it. It's almost like going to a spa for the day. It's mentally relaxing."

Athletics designated hitter Billy Butler is out of the starting lineup for Sunday's game. It will be just the second start Butler has missed this season. 

Mark Canha moves to DH from left field to give Butler a day of rest. Sam Fuld shifts from center to left to replace Canha. 

Entering the lineup to fill Fuld's vacancy in center is Billy Burns, who will bat leadoff. Burns is making his second consecutive start in center. 

For the fourth time this season, Joe Mauer and Kennys Vargas will switch positions to give Mauer a day off from the field. 

Mauer will play designated hitter for the Twins in Sunday's game, while Vargas will play first base. It's the second time in five games and third in the last nine that the two players have flip-flopped positions. 

Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez received a day of rest Saturday against the Royals. Martinez has struggled as of late, hitting .205 (8-for-39) with 17 strikeouts over his last 10 games. He has been held without a hit in his four career at-bats against right-hander Edinson Volquez.

Rajai Davis moved to right field and will bat ninth, while Anthony Gose remained in the leadoff spot and in center field.

Detroit is favored (-125) at Kansas City, per VegasInsider.com.

Athletics left fielder Mark Canha was instrumental in his team's come-from-behind victory against the Rangers on Friday night. Canha, who had entered the game with just six hits in has last 24 at-bats, went 2 for 4 with a two-run home run.

Canha's home run, his third of the season and second in as many games, led off the top of the eighth inning, an inning in which the A's would score seven runs en route to the 7-5 win. In fact, both of Canha's hits on Friday came in that eighth inning.